Student president laments Conservative party's drinking culture

The head of EUSA has criticised the university's student Conservative association following the chairman's run-in with the police last week for drunken misconduct.

The new chairman of the Conservative and Unionist Association (EUCUA), Joe Cawley, was issued an on the spot fixed penalty fine of £40 from Lothian and Borders Police for a breach of the peace after an incident on Thursday 17 September.

President Thomas Graham told The Journal: “It is clear that the Conservative Club have not changed their attitude towards Scotland’s drink culture and have let the Students' Association down.”

Police were called to Northumberland Place in Edinburgh’s New Town where they found two males climbing up nearby scaffolding and making unsociable amounts of noise.

The 20 year-old third year Philosophy student had been drinking heavily at a nearby party shortly before he proceeded to disturb residents.

In a statement issued by Mr Cawley, he described what he could remember of the incident before profoundly apologising.

He said: “There was just a ladder outside the flat and I just climbed up. I went up the scaffolding and was almost certainly being too loud.

"I imagine the police turned up at the request of one of the local residents. They asked us to come down and we did, and we were given the fine.

“I deeply regret the incident, it reflects badly on myself and the association. It has wasted police time and resources and I cannot apologise enough.

"I like to think we all make mistakes in our time and I hope that this won’t affect my work with the Conservative Party.”

Thomas Graham, President of EUSA, expressed his disappointment to The Journal, saying: “He is an individual student in a position of responsibility and we are very disappointed he has decided to act in this way.

“We feel sorry for the Conservative Club who have to begin the year dealing with this. It is a great disappointment especially after the success of Edinburgh’s Fresher’s Week which had such an emphasis on non-alcohol related events."

The students' association went on to explain that action could not and would not be taken against individual students based on their actions outside the university.

The chairman also revealed he had no intention of resigning, saying: “I’ll stay in the post unless Central Office say otherwise. I have no plans to leave the post at the moment; short of David Cameron calling up and telling me to leave.”

The Scottish Conservatives are standing by Mr Cawley. A spokesman told The Journal: “Joe Cawley has apologised and as far as we are concerned that is the end of the matter.”

Last year’s chairman and author of the conservative gossip blog 'Tory Bear', Harry Cole told the The Journal: "It seems Joe took the celebrating the resurgance of the Conservative Party on campus a little too far. I would be pretty chuffed to now have more members than all the other parties on campus.

“It would have been a tragedy for the student papers if he hadn't been more notorious than his predecessor though."